Prompt by SpicyKiwiWrites . Here it is:
That's probably annoying to read though. Check out her Prompt Book for the typed prompt. Enjoy!
To say Simon Minter was poor was an understatement. He had maybe a few dollars to his name, and that money would go towards food for his siblings. He worked all night, from when school ended until the sun would rise the next morning. And, yet, he barely had enough money to keep his family stable. But no one at school would know this.
Simon hated the fact that he was poor. He more so hated when people at school would find out. They would often pester him, asking why he was poor, where were his parents, etcetera. And JJ, JJ was no exception.
It hadn't taken much for JJ to find out. His eye had caught the blond one day, noticing him rush to place his notebook back into his bag- which JJ noticed was beyond tattered. JJ hadn't understood why, until he watched the blond more. He never ate at lunch. His clothes weren't ever as pristine as most teens' in the area. His notebook looked like it had fallen apart years ago. And these were only a few of the things JJ had noticed. So, like any other privileged kid in the area, JJ began to interrogate Simon. Why wasn't he eating? What was up with his school supplies? How come he never talked about his family or home life during class? All these questions angered Simon, but he never answered any of them.
It was once JJ realized that Simon really needed money that he stopped asking questions. Instead, he'd started offering help. He offered to buy him lunch, books for school, a cell phone- something Simon had never had. JJ was pretty much willing to do anything to help Simon out, he wanted to see the blond happy. And that had led JJ to probably his smartest decision.
JJ had begun by simply leaving a stack of quarters on their shared desk, maybe seven or eight, and he made a point of staring out the window. Out of his peripheral vision, JJ could see Simon eyeing up the quarters. Even only a quarter or two would have helped him... Simon took two quarters from the stack, making sure JJ hadn't seen him and that he didn't make any noises. Seeing that he had finally been successful in his ventures to help Simon, JJ repeated the process. For the first week, he stuck with quarters. He made sure he brought in more and more quarters, making multiple stacks for Simon to take out of. JJ could tell that Simon was getting suspicious, but didn't do much to stop him.
It wasn't until the second week, when JJ had brought in a few $10 bills, that Simon began to get nervous. JJ noticed that he seemed to fight more with himself, and only ever took one bill a day. JJ couldn't seem to figure out why. It wasn't like he was going to get Simon in trouble for this. The $10 bill trend stayed for two weeks. At the beginning of the now fourth week, JJ's bills turned into $20 each instead. That Monday, Simon didn't take any money. Instead, he pulled JJ aside after class.
"I don't know what you're trying to pull," Simon had said, "but I'm not going to take your money so you can get me in trouble for stealing. I'm not that desperate for change and I'd appreciate if you'd stop." JJ was upset by Simon's implications. He tried to clear up to the boy that that was not his goal, that he only wanted to help, but Simon wouldn't listen. Simon swore he'd pay back JJ in a week, and then he stormed off to whatever his next class was. JJ cursed, and he spent the rest of the day thinking of ways to keep helping Simon.
It wasn't until the weekend that JJ realized his next step. He had found out from some other students that Simon worked at a nearby café as the barista. JJ decided to give him a visit at work, somewhere he couldn't reject JJ's offerings. He entered the café that Saturday morning, smiling as he saw the familiar blond at the counter. Simon ha begun the necessary introductions, fading off as he saw JJ. He became nervous, asking him what he would like. He tried his hardest to hide his worry, but his occasional stutter proved it difficult. Once JJ had gotten his order, he left a twenty in the tip jar. His order had only come out to around five dollars, but JJ wanted to ensure that Simon got more money. Simon had scowled at the tip jar after, before helping the next customer.
JJ had sat in that café for an hour, sipping on his coffee and eating whatever pastry he ha ordered. All the while, he watched as Simon worked. The blond looked quite happy for once, and he looked very cleaned up. Unlike his borderline filthy clothes he wore usually, his work uniform was pristine. His blond hair was styled up in the front, even his eyes seemed a clearer blue. JJ was happy to see Simon so cheerful, and he felt his heart flutter whenever the two made eye contact. Once JJ was finishing up with his coffee, Simon stepped back from the counter. Another barista came to the counter, Simon disappearing into the back, but not without another glance towards JJ. JJ took his last sip of coffee, and when he looked up he was met by Simon's blue eyes glaring at him. JJ smiled and gestured at the seat opposite him, which Simon very unwillingly took.
"Why are you watching me? Are you waiting to catch me stealing? Because I don't steal, and I don't appreciate your assumptions about me. Just because I may not act the same as others doesn't mean I'm poor. Hasn't it ever occurred to someone that maybe that's just who I am?" Simon had rambled after sitting down, JJ's eyes widening. JJ stuttered for a moment, trying to get over his surprise at Simon's outburst. Then he spoke.
"I'm only trying to help. And you've stolen more than just money from me."
"What?" Simon's eyes glistened with confusion, his head tilting slightly to the side.
"You stole my heart, Simon Minter. Now let me help you, damn it, and stop being so stubborn. It's okay to need help, and I'm offering it to you. Accept it." Simon was silent, eyes now wide with surprise as he looked down, trying to process what was said. He stuttered out a few mumblings of "how" and "why". When he finally regained composure, he met JJ's eyes.
"Fine. You can help me. But as soon as everything evens out, I'm paying you back. Every single quarter of it." Simon said sternly, keeping his eyes locked on JJ's. JJ laughed, and smiled.
"Of course Simon. And what's that total to right now?" JJ joked, not expecting an answer.
"One-hundred twenty-one dollars and twenty-five cents, including the tip you just gave me. Oh, and I guess your heart too." Simon smirked while saying this, his boss calling him back from break. "I have to go now. Bye JJ." Simon gave JJ a peck on the cheek before standing up and returning into the back of the store.
GOSH YOU ALL HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH SELF CONTROL IT TOOK NOT TO PUBLISH THIS EARLY. *Ahem* Sorry about that. I hope you enjoyed my cheeses! Until next time, Peace my Cheeses! I love you all <3